The NCAA's handed down several penalties for former Alabama baseball head coach Brad Bohannon Thursday. The NCAA found that Bohannon, who was fired by the school for his involvement with a betting scheme in May, did in fact provide insider information that was leveraged then leveraged for improper wagering at a sportsbook in Cincinnati.
The NCAA said Bohannon texted his partner at the sportsbook "(Student-athlete) is out for sure … Lemme know when I can tell (the opposing team) … Hurry" once he found out that the slated starting pitcher would not be able to go and the bettor attempted to place $100,000 wager that was quickly flagged by the book for suspicious activity.
"Integrity of games is of the utmost importance to NCAA members, and the panel is deeply troubled by Bohannon's unethical behavior," Vince Nicastro, deputy commissioner and chief operating officer of the Big East and chief hearing officer for the panel said in the NCAA's statement on the ruling. "Coaches, student-athletes and administrators have access to information deemed valuable to those involved in betting. Improperly sharing that information for purposes of sports betting cuts to the heart of the honesty and sportsmanship we expect of our members and is particularly egregious when shared by those who have the ability to influence the outcome of games."
The Division I Committee on Infractions levied a fine of $5000 on Bohannon for his violations, three years of probation and a 15-year show-cause order. During that 15-year period, Bohannon cannot hold any position related to athletics and if he does become employed during that period, he would be suspended for 100% of the baseball regular season for the first five seasons he's employed with that school.
The committee made a point to say in their statement that Bohannon did not participate in the investigation and he "failed to meet his obligation to cooperate with an NCAA investigation when he did not participate in an interview, did not disclose relevant information and did not provide access to electronic devices to further the enforcement staff's investigation."
The baseball betting scandal at Alabama kicked off a year full of gambling related violations across multiple sports in the college ranks, including several infractions at Iowa and Iowa State.
